2017 NFL Free Agents: Guards

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2017 NFL Free Agency: Star rating is out of five. Age listing as of Sept. 1, 2017.
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Kevin Zeitler, G, Bengals. Age: 27.
Signed with Browns (5 years, $60 million)

Kevin Zeitler is one of the jewels of the 2017 NFL free agency class. He’s been one of the top guards in the league over the past several seasons, possessing no weaknesses in his game. There’s no reason for Zeitler to decline either, as he’ll turn just 27 in March.
Andrew Norwell (RFA), G, Panthers. Age: 25.
Tendered by Panthers (2nd round)

Carolina’s offensive line was a mess this past season, but the lone bright spot throughout the entire year was Andrew Norwell. The 25-year-old was outstanding in both pass protection and run blocking, and given that he’s so young, he could even be better in 2017 and 2018.
T.J. Lang, G, Packers. Age: 29.
Signed with Lions (3 years)

T.J. Lang missed some time with a foot injury this past season, but still performed as one of the top guards in the NFL. The one downside is that he’ll turn 30 at the end of September, but interior linemen can usually play on a high level well into their mid-30s.
Larry Warford, G, Lions. Age: 26.
Signed with Saints

Larry Warford had an injury-prone 2015 campaign, but he rebounded this past season, providing Matthew Stafford with some excellent blocking. Warford turns just 26 in June, so the sky is the limit for him.
Evan Mathis, G, Cardinals. Age: 35.
Announced retirement

Evan Mathis was the top guard in the NFL a few years ago, but he’s been bothered by injuries the past couple of seasons. Age is also a factor, as he’ll turn 36 in November. However, Mathis is still a solid blocker, especially when it comes to opening up running lanes. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be a quality starter for someone next year.
Brian Winters, G, Jets. Age: 26.
Re-signed with Jets (4 years)

Brian Winters was arguably the Jets’ top offensive lineman last year not named Nick Mangold. That’s not saying a lot, but Winters is a quality pass protector who happens to be just 26 until July.
Ronald Leary, G, Cowboys. Age: 28.
Signed with Broncos (4 years, $35 million)

Ronald Leary was once the weakest link on Dallas’ offensive line, but that’s no longer the case. Leary has developed into a quality starting guard with no weaknesses.
John Greco, G, Browns. Age: 32.
John Greco could end up being the best player to be part of the final cuts. The Browns are stacked at guard and decided that they wanted to save $3.1 million by releasing Greco. The former Toledo product is 32, but he’s still a very solid blocker who isn’t a bad starter by any means.
Orlando Franklin, G, Chargers. Age: 29.
Signed with Redskins

Orlando Franklin is very talented – hence the $36.5 million contract he signed two offseasons ago – but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy since. The Chargers had to cut him because of his high salary, but some team should sign him as a reclamation project. Some teams that make sense for him include the Cowboys, Bengals and Vikings. Perhaps he could return to Denver.
Jahri Evans, G, Saints. Age: 34.
Signed with Packers

Jahri Evans has been a terrific guard for the Saints since 2006. Unfortunately, he’s 34 now, and he’s slowing down. Evans is still a quality blocker, but he’s not on a Pro Bowl level anymore. Guards can play well into their mid-30s though, so Evans should still have a couple more solid seasons.
Alex Boone, G, Vikings. Age: 30.
Signed with Cardinals

Alex Boone signed a 4-year, $26.8 million deal last offseason, but he didn’t live up to it. Boone didn’t play poorly either, however, as he was far from the problem for Minnesota’s blocking woes. Now, the Vikings’ offensive line is going to be even worse.
Mike Harris, G, Vikings. Age: 27.
Mike Harris had never been a full-time starter before 2015. He took advantage of the opportunity and ran (blocked?) with it. The Vikings slid him inside to guard after he was stationed at tackle for the first three years of his career, and he was exceptional in all regards. Unfortunately, he missed all of 2016 with some sort of undisclosed illness, so we’ll see if he can even play in 2017 and beyond.
Patrick Omameh, G, Jaguars. Age: 26.
Re-signed with Jaguars (1 year, $775,000

Patrick Omameh stepped in for an injured Luke Joeckel and performed better than the former No. 2 overall pick. Unfortunately, Omameh landed on injured reserve himself because of a foot problem.
John Jerry, G, Giants. Age: 31.
Re-signed with Giants (3 years, $10 million)

John Jerry has been terrible for years, but thanks to a training stint at LeCharles Bentley’s facility last offseason, he was able to improve. Jerry, however, was in his contract year, so teams should be cautious about giving him a sizable contract, especially considering that he turns 31 in June.
D.J. Fluker, G/OT, Chargers. Age: 26.
Signed with Giants (1 year)

D.J. Fluker was the 11th-overall pick in the horrible 2013 NFL Draft. He played well the first two years, but he’s been awful since, thanks in part to multiple injuries. Fluker has a chance to bounce back, but that would require him to stay healthy for once.
Luke Joeckel, G/OT, Jaguars. Age: 25.
Signed with Seahawks (1 year, $8 million)

I’m listing Luke Joeckel as a two-star free agent because he’s only 25 and was once the second-overall pick in the draft. It’s not inconceivable that he could turn his career around. Unfortunately, Joeckel has been an abomination thus far. He was slightly less worse at guard than tackle, so perhaps he’ll have a future there like Robert Gallery once did. Probably not, though.
Chance Warmack, G, Titans. Age: 25.
Signed with Eagles

Chance Warmack hasn’t played like a two-star player; he’s been awful. However, he was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, so he has some potential.
Brandon Fusco, G, Vikings. Age: 29.
Brandon Fusco was once a solid guard, and the Vikings thought highly enough of him to give him a $25 million contract over five years. Fusco has been awful the past two seasons, so it’s not a surprise that he was released. Fusco turns only 29 in July, so perhaps he can get back to playing well for a new team.
Ryan Jensen (RFA), G, Ravens. Age: 26. — Re-signed with Ravens
John Urschel, G, Ravens. Age: 26. — Announced retirement
Tim Lelito, G, Saints. Age: 28. — Signed with Titans
Jonathan Cooper, G, Cowboys. Age: 27. — Re-signed with Cowboys
Ben Ijalana, G/OT, Jets. Age: 28. — Re-signed with Jets (2 years, $11 million)
Vladimir Ducasse, G, Ravens. Age: 29. — Signed with Bills
Don Barclay, G/OT, Packers. Age: 28. — Signed with Lions
Oday Aboushi, G/OT, Texans. Age: 26. — Signed with Seahawks
Kenny Wiggins (RFA), G, Chargers. Age: 29.
Chris Chester, G, Falcons. Age: 34. — Announced retirement
Chris Scott, G, Panthers. Age: 30.
Hugh Thornton, G, Colts. Age: 26. — Signed with Falcons (1 year)
Kraig Urbik, G, Dolphins. Age: 31.
Tony Bergstrom, G, Texans. Age: 31. — Signed with Redskins
Earl Watford, G/OT, Jaguars. Age: 29.
Ben Garland (RFA), G, Falcons. Age: 29.
Mike Person, G/C, Chiefs. Age: 29. — Re-signed with Chiefs
Louis Vasquez, G, Broncos. Age: 30.
Garrett Reynolds, G, Lions. Age: 30.
Jamil Douglas, G, Dolphins. Age: 25.
Josh Wells (RFA), G, Jaguars. Age: 26.
Todd Herremans, G, Ravens. Age: 34.
Tyler Shatley (RFA), G, Jaguars. Age: 26. — Re-signed with Jaguars